Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-10-21
INSPECTOR sYRNss.
An Interesting Chat With New Tor"
Famous Thief Catcher.

An Interesting CHAT with Ne" '"'"
Famous Thief Catcher.
He leaned careless V against the IRON
railing on the Twenty-eighth street
side of the Gilsey House. just IN the
shadow of the hotel II, was dressed
in a neat business suit of mixed goods,
wore a white derby of the low-crowneo
STYLE, smoked his cigar with evident
relish, and had the general ait OF
well-to-do man about town VINO khe"
the good things of this world. and en-
loved them A stranger would nave
taken him for one of the guests OF the
Gi'sey--bu. he was not-he was
simply Inspector Byrnes. and what he
was doing there. standing quietly IN
the darkness, The Ora me man did not
care to ask. Yet, as the big world drift
ed by along Broadway and under the
glare of the el rio lights. showing
every man and womans countenance
to the watchfal, plac.l-faced man IN
the shadows, the inspector dropped In
to one of his pleasant chatty moods
and between the wreaths of his cigar
smoke told something OF the life that
surrounds him every day.
mo one knows how much wafchtul-
ness and continual care are required to
keep up successfully with the patience.
energy, talent and new methods OF the
| thieves of New York. Their system OF
work against which we provide to-day
| is replaced tomorrow by a newer and
| more Intricate scheme which has been
evolved from the inventive brain OF,
some talented crook. The community
looks to us not only for the capture
| and conviction of the thieves. but in Il
large part expects us to prevent crime.
| To do this in any successful way on
tails upon me and my officers a
thorough and continuous knowledge
| of thieves and malefactors. their GUS
toms, manner of life, habits and asso-
ciates. their special aptitudes and pc
culiarities, aud their general haunts
and loungng places. How do we at
tain to this knowledge In the simplest
way possible--bv unceasing daily as
ISOLATION with these thieves and law
breakers of high and low degree. |
sounds strange, doesn't If, and yet it
is trre that there is not a day of my
life but | spend couple of hours
among that class of people. | re-
member how such statement as
now make was received by Theodore
bn Had lnfnp, t,e
investigation committee. He asked
me what l considered
the qualifications of a good
detective, and | enumerated youth.
energy, courage. enterprise. and an
acquaintance with thieves and their
metho Is. 'Whatr sail Mr. Roosevelt.
DO you consider intimacy with the
criminal classes one of the essential
qualifications of your otiicersp | re.
piled that | most certainly did, ant
added that there was no day that die
not pass some of my time amone
thieves. 'Doyou include to-dayP' sale
Mr., Roosevelt i DO. answered, for
looking into this big audience, | car
| SCc StNclul men L lltNt utlltt ~ Stlit
to Sing Sing for various crimes! Th,
explanation seemed to satisfy tn
young lawmaker, and he asked me n,
further on that point. Yet the neces
sity of this acquaintance with thieve
ought to be self-evident. If You low
your watch and come to me to aid i,
finding it for you, do not go to Will
lam NJ Evarts. nor to Archbishop
Corrigan, nor to Rev. Howard c. osb,
to discover who 5 ole it. | must y,
among thieves, and to be able to d,
this and get you back your watch mus
have the knowledge | speak about
Why don't take vacation? Well, II
tell Every time | 90 out of town
even for Il few hours, | feel an irresist
lie impulse to get back, 1t seems t
me l might be needed. Go to Europe
: No, no! NJ dear fellow, if ever the
get me outside OF land tley will hav
to put handcuifi on me.-M !
Graphic.